And on the low end, with its 31 x 34 combination, you get a gear that early mountain bikers would envy. The single ring chainsets use Shimanos Dynamic Chain Engagement tooth profile tall teeth that are alternately thick and thin, specially shaped to prevent the chain bouncing off on rough terrain. Pay attention to the capacity of the rear derailleur. This section summarizes what tire inserts are and the advantages and disadvantages of using them, which have been attracting attention along with the spread of tubeless tires and have recently been used in professional road racing. No. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? All of them use Shimano's Shadow RD+ technology which is designed to stabilise the chain on rough terrain by minimising unnecessary derailleur arm movement. Choice. *When using GRX brake parts, only DURA-ACE hydraulic compatible parts are compatible. For 1 drivetrains, the RX812 variant has a total capacity of 31t and is meant for cassettes with a 40t or 42t large sprocket. If you pull the lever and let it spring back against its stop, the RX600 is quieter and feels more damped than 105, which might make it less prone to rattling over really rough ground. Shimano GRX also includes 1x11-specific BL-RX810 and BL-RX600-series left side hydraulic disc brake levers with no dropper or shift internals. We redesigned the front derailleur and crankset giving the chainline more space, allowing for broader wheel sizes and tires. When upgrading your gravel bike, keep the following elements in mind to help decipher what parts are interchangeable with your current road components. Shimano hasnt exactly developed an entirely new groupset. What is the ASTM standard for bicycle wheels? Sticking with that tyre as a baseline, 10-speed GRX RX400 actually goes even lower, offering a possible 30/36 low gear, or 22.8in, coincidentally the same lowest gear offered by SRAMs 12-speed Force eTap AXS in a 2 configuration. It isnt a reworked set of road components. Its equipped with an on-off switchable chain stabiliser i.e. If you're in the market for a new gravel bike or want to replace your current drivetrain completely, a full GRX groupset is an ideal place to start. Chains and sprockets are shared with road components as long as they have the same number of steps. The inline hydraulic sub-brake lever (BL-RX812, pictured above) is an interesting option. Just be sure that if you use a GRX crank, especially with a 48-31 chainring combination, that you use matching GRX front and rear derailleurs, as they are designed for the larger front chainring difference. One more thing to note is that all GRX series STI levers are hydraulic disc brake only. Shimano's GRX for gravel and ULTEGRA for road bikes are compatible with the ULTEGRA R8000 and 6800 series. The bead won't come up! You can expect to see bikes with similar specs starting at around 1,600 / 2,000 / $2,000 / AU$3,000, but bike pricing is in flux at the moment, so thats a moving target. If you're using a 10-speed system, you need the RD-RX400 which can cope with a maximum 36-tooth sprocket. INFORMATION Shimanos 1 offering lags a little behind some of the competition if you keep things strictly in the family and dont mix in aftermarket components or push the spec limits. If youre Shimano-inclined and looking to spec a bike for adventure, gravel or gravel-adjacent activities, it offers a wealth of options to suit different budgets, all of which perform well in the real world and are easy to live with. Choose between 10-speed and 11-speed, 1x11 or 2x11, and mechanical or electronic shifting. As ever with groupsets, it should be noted that real-world pricing often bears little resemblance to RRPs. If youre going 11-speed, you might wonder if its worth opting for the more expensive 11-speed Ultegra-equivalent RX810 levers. Even if youre not buying a whole groupset, theres considerable scope to upgrade existing setups in search of lower gears or, for example, to get features such as the clutch rear derailleur. This means that many older pre-11-speed Mavic freehubs are ready to accept everything from 8-12 speed HG-fitment cassettes, including 11 and 12-speed Shimano road. The only exception is the new GRX front derailleur and 2x cranks have to be paired, meaning you can't use an Ultegra crank with a GRX front derailleur or vice versa. Currently, Campagnolo, Fulcrum, DT Swiss, Mavic, FFWD, Hunt, and a number of others cater for the new design. Looking for maximum range while maintaining road cassette progression? The idea is that you can butt your hand up against the front end of the hood to stop it sliding over the top. If your needs change, it's likely you'll find a compatible alternative for a component at a decent price. This alters the lever feel with more progression. GRX is currently in very short supply because of the same factors that are making many bikes and bike parts hard to find. As above, 10-speed compatibility is more limited. Your subscription will help us to do more. Through-axle is becoming a major fixation method for disc brake wheels. It also reduces chain slap, improves chain retention and minimizes the risk of clipping obstacles. On a freewheel system, that spline will remain stationary when the sprockets are spun backward. It delivers precise and consistent shifting performance across a wide range of MTB conditions. For 1x11 setups, the long-cage GRX rear derailleur is necessary if you wish to run the 11-40 or 11-42 cassette sizes. GRX offers both 1x11 and 2x11 drivetrain options. That means no compatibility pitfalls, as long as you stay. In this article, we will show you how to find out which tires are compatible with your wheel based on its specifications. GRX was designed from the ground-up to meet the rugged demands of gravel riding and racing. This section summarizes why disc rotor distortion occurs and how to correct the distortion. road.cc reviewer Mike Stead tested the GRX RX810 chainset (pictured above) with a 40-tooth chainring and said, "The combination of the [rear derailleur] clutch (see below) and alternating chainring tooth profile meant no matter what I tried, the chain stayed put and was almost totally silent.". For Shimano STI lever model numbers, add 50 to the base model number (e.g., ST-9100) to get Di2, add 20 to get for hydraulic brakes, and add 5 to get for small hand *1, so you can remember that the 70s are for Di2 hydraulic and the 20s for mechanical hydraulic. 1. The tubeless valve is an essential item for tubeless use. This is also why most Shimano 10-speed road cassettes are provided with a thin 1 mm spacer that must be used with regular freehub bodies (spacer goes behind the cassette, always). Gravel Upgrades: Mixing and Matching Shimano GRX and Road Components. This looks great. GRX front derailleurs use the same compact design weve grown used to on the road side, which includes a built-in cable tension adjustment, so you dont need to fit an inline barrel adjuster elsewhere. The 211-speed setup tested here gives a low gear of 30/34, which would equate to a 24.1in bottom end with a 70038mm tyre. Many "hookless rim" wheels are lightweight and cost-effective. Campagnolo has long used its own tall-spline freehub variant, something that in its current iteration dates back to its introduction of 9-speed gearing. Shimano 10, 11, and some 12-speed (if the smallest sprocket is 11T or greater) mountain bike cassettes are also a direct fit. If youre unsure whether your bike features a freehub or freewheel, then take a look at the rear sprockets and give them a backward spin. The idea is that this provides more secure chain retention, reduces the amount that the chain slaps on the chainstays, ensures a quieter ride, and results in an uninterrupted shifting performance. Quote: "The change is more pronounced on the Di2 shifters. Each rear derailleur has a stabiliser on/off switch that allows you to change the chain tension and minimise bounce. The AXS 12-speed cassette is 1.85mm too wide for the XD driver; that cassette requires the wider XDR driver. Shimano was proud to introduce the first gravel-specific groupset with its groundbreaking GRX component range. Shimano GRX a long time coming but finally something to get excited about2/3 tiers of spec. Instead, it has combined key technologies and components from current road and mountain bike road groupsets and added some brand new parts. Therefore the 10 speed Tiagra and GRX 400 can use 11 speed rear derailleurs and vice versa. The following is a summary of the differences and how to select the right one. Welcome to the latest edition of road.ccs buyer's guide to Shimano's GRX range of components for gravel bikes. Paired with 700c x 40mm tires, it delivers a top gear similar to a road bike with 25mm tires and a 50 x 11 gear. Component categories and series of GRAVEL, Component categories and series of LIFESTYLE, Component categories and series of E-BIKE, Your smartphone to cycling computer on the bike, SHIMANO bicycle ride data collection/analysis service, SHIMANO AGAINST THE TAMPERING WITH E-BIKES, California Transparency in Supply Chain Act. Put your hands on the hoods and, provided youre familiar with Shimanos current groupsets, youll notice theyre quite different. If youve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as 1.99. In other words, you sometimes have to mix and match. Advertising, commercial: sales [at] road.cc With the introduction of its new 12-speed road groupsets, Shimano also announced a new spline pattern specific to its new road cassettes. Shimanos new GRX line is all about choice. Better yet, it's all inner compatible, so you can mix and match. Originally a roadie, he likes bikes and kit of every type, including gravel bikes and mountain bikes, and he's tested a huge variety of all three over the years for BikeRadar, Cycling Plus, Cyclist.co.uk and others. These customized drivetrains often relied on specialty parts, which caused problems with reliability and made it hard to find replacement parts quickly. DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS, SHIMANO SERVICE CENTERS | MANUALS & TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS | DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS, Privacy Policy | Cookies Preferences | Terms of Use | California Transparency in Supply Chain Act | ADA Compliance | California Consumer Private Notice. If in doubt, consult your local bike store (or ideally the source of the wheel in question). We specifically designed the brakes for the often unexpected challenges of gravel riding. There arent GRX equivalents for every road component at every level, so GRX-equipped bikes will often mix different levels of components. 1 More posts from the bikewrench community 180 "The proven clutch-style rear derailleur and Shimanos patented chainring tooth design ensured the chain stayed in place over the roughest tracks. What is a tubeless valve, tubeless valve types, and how to select one are summarized below. The first step is to count your cassettes number of sprockets (gears). Shimanos GRX gravel components are derived from road bikes, so they are highly compatible with road bike parts. Each has a rim with a 21.6mm internal width and 22mm depth, and the hubs are 12mm thru-axle. This will likely be a number between 8 and 12. Both the RX810 mechanical front derailleur and the RX815 Di2 front derailleur (pictured above) have the capacity to accommodate a 17-tooth difference between chainring sizes (as found on a 48/31-tooth GRX chainset) while the RX400 10-speed front derailleur accommodates the 16-tooth difference between the RX600 chainset's 46/30-tooth chainrings. Next, count how many teeth the smallest sprocket offers. Tiagra 4700 shifters are compatible with GRX RX400 derailleurs (front and rear), but apparently 105 5700 and Ultegra 6700 shifters are not. Similarly, for the very best shifting, use a road (DURA-ACE, ULTEGRA, or 105) front derailleur if you prefer to ride with a road chainring combination like 50-34, 52-36, or 53-39, SHIMANO SERVICE CENTERS Below is a list of the most commonly found freehub bodies on the market today. Even so, Shimano calls GRX the worlds first dedicated gravel component group". Now look for a lockring holding the cassette. As it's Shimano, many Hyperglide-compatible cassettes are possible, including Ultegra and 105, which helps to keep running costs down. The approximate 34 mm diameter across the splines means that an 11T sprocket is the smallest that can be fitted to this style of freehub body. Shimano GRX components are designed specifically for the needs of gravel, adventure and all-road riding, with gearing and features that differ from the brands road ranges. NEWS The following is a summary of what a torque wrench is and the advantages and disadvantages of torque management. This guide will help, but be warned that incorrectly counting or misreading something will easily result in you ordering the wrong part. Thanks to its 11-speed specification, much . And the fourth stipulation is in regards to 6 and 7-speed HG-style cassettes and freehub bodies. capacity. Want to drop some weight, simplify your shifting, and still maintain a versatile range? We hope this guide is still useful in helping you understand how the GRX range works, and we apologise if the links aren't as useful as we'd like them to be. As discussed above, a key advantage of GRX is the ability to mix and match with existing road groupsets, particularly among 11-speed components. The availability of N3W-compatible wheels is improving all the time. Rear derailleur setup is straightforward following Shimanos guidelines and the limit screws are multi-tool friendly because they have hex heads. Shimano offers dedicated GRX STI (combined shift and brake) levers, mechanical and electronic, which use what the brand calls a gravel-specific ergonomic lever design. Go with GRXs 800 series 2x11 RD-RX810 or Di2 RD- RX815 rear derailleurs, designed for close ratio clusters, with 48/31 chainrings and an 11-34 cassette. As ever with Shimano, the front shifting includes trim positions, which feel intuitive and natural in use. BR-R9270, BR-R8170, BR-R7170), the previous generation. In practice, the range of free-stroke adjustment available is quite small, and I didnt miss it with the cheaper levers. Bead raising" is an essential task with tubeless tires. INFORMATION